2000
#3,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,152
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.39
Uncommon Last name
Hulsey
Derived from a place name meaning "holly island" in Old English, likely referring to a family's place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,036 Americans carry the last name Hulsey. That puts it at #3,937 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,152 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hulsey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 34,152
Census rank
#3,937
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,752 bearers of the surname Hulsey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3937th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hulsey
The surname HULSEY has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hulse," which referred to a holly tree or a holly bush. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with someone who lived near or worked with holly trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like record from 1273, which mentions a Robert de Hulse living in Staffordshire. The name also appears in the Corpus of Yorkshire Dialect Literature from the 14th century, where it is spelled as "Hulsey."
In the 16th century, the name was found in various records from Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it was often associated with place names such as Hulse End and Hulse Clough. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the holly tree.
One notable bearer of the HULSEY surname was Sir John Hulsey (1508-1572), a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London. He played a significant role in the expansion of the city's trade and commerce during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another individual of historical significance was Captain William Hulsey (1638-1697), an English sailor and explorer who is best known for his expeditions to the Caribbean and his involvement in the settlement of Virginia.
In the 18th century, the name HULSEY gained prominence with the birth of Samuel Hulsey (1734-1807), a prominent industrialist and inventor from Staffordshire. He is credited with developing several innovative techniques in the manufacturing of pottery and ceramics.
The 19th century saw the rise of Robert Hulsey (1815-1892), a renowned author and poet from Lancashire. His works, which often depicted the rural life and landscapes of his native county, were widely celebrated during the Victorian era.
Another noteworthy figure was Mary Hulsey (1871-1945), a pioneering educator and social reformer from Yorkshire. She was instrumental in establishing several schools for underprivileged children and advocating for improved educational opportunities for women.
While the HULSEY surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration to North America and other English-speaking countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hulsey
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hulsey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hulsey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 7,766
- Two or more races4.5% · 397
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 276
- Black or African American1.8% · 159
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hulsey
Hulsey appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,317
+165 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 3.16
Rank movement Down 233 places
2020
#3,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,752
-565 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.93
Rank movement Down 141 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,563 | 9,152 | 3.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,796 | 9,317 | 3.16 | +165 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 233 places |
| 2020 | #3,937 | 8,752 | 2.93 | -565 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 141 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hulsey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,796 | #3,937 | -3.7% |
| Count | 9,317 | 8,752 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.16 | 2.93 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hulsey bearers went from 9,317 to 8,752 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 141 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,796 to #3,937.
FAQ
Hulsey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hulsey?
Name Census estimates that about 10,036 living Americans carry the surname Hulsey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,152 residents.
How common is Hulsey?
Hulsey ranks #3,937 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,752 people with the surname Hulsey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,036), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Hulsey.
Has Hulsey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hulsey went from 9,317 recorded bearers to 8,752. That is a decrease of 565 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,796 to #3,937.
What does the Census say about the background of Hulsey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hulsey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (7,766 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hulsey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hulsey (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hulsey mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "holly island" in Old English, likely referring to a family's place of origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hulsey (2.93 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Hulsey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.